Balloon



June 6, 5 AK] ET AL BALLOON Filed March 23, 1932 I II I l l 1 a Jun fun 5 z patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOZABURO AKI, 0F MILL HILL, LONDON, AND GUNJI KOIZUMI, OF LONDON, ENGLAND BALLOON Application filed March 28, 1932, Serial No. 600,696, and in Great Britain April 7, 1931.

This invention relates to devices for advertising displaying, decoration and amusement and more particularly to that class of devices comprising an inflatable balloon the surface or envelope of which is adapted to be illuminated from within. r

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a front elevation of the device with the closure plug for the seating ring removed.

According to the present invention the en velope of the balloon which in the preferred embodiment is constituted by silk, is provided with an aperture in which is located a seating ring or washer (B) of robust construction. The seating ring or washer which is conveniently made of resilient rubber, is preferably circular in cross section, but the shape may be varied to accommodate illuminating device of any desired form.

For purposes of illumination an incandescent light bulb attached to airtight lampholder (E) or pocket electric torch of such shape and dimension as to make a gas tight fit into the seating ring or washer is inserted through the aperture in the envelope. The balloon is then inflated through thecustomary valve (C) or nozzle provided for the purpose and it will be understood that the gas tightness between the seating ring or washer and the illuminating device is thereby increased.

The device according to the invention may serve a variety of useful purposes of which the following are given by way of example. The envelope may carry or have printed thereon advertising matter and be mounted on a base or be suspended from a ceiling for display in shop windows, or the envelope may have a map printed thereon showing shipping or air routes etc. or the envelope or the illuminating device or both may be given variouscolours and the device be used as a comical novelty, the illuminating device in this instance being electricity e. g. a pocket torch.

The balloon constituted by silkis inflated through the customary valve (0) and the illumination is provided by an incandescent electric light bulb attached to an airtight lampholder of such shape and diinensions as when inserted through the seating ring or washer (B) in the envelope provides an airtight joint when the envelope is inflated.

It will be observed that the yielding rubber seating ring B is provided with a wide base flange which is secured gas tight to the margin of the aperture inside the balloon in any preferred manner and also that the ring is provided with a conical top which rises from the base flange inside the balloon. By virtue of the yielding elastic character of the ring and by virtue of the shape of the conical top of the ring, pressure of the inflating gas in the balloon will coact with the tendency of the ring to hug the lamp holder or socket, and will compress the ring so tightly upon the lamp socket as to seal the socket gas tight in the balloon.

We claim:

An inflatable balloon having an aperture, a yielding ring having a wide base flange sesecured gas tight to the margin of said aperture and having a substantially conical top rising from the base flange inside the balloon, a lamp holder extending through the ring to the exterior of the balloon, a bulb in the inner end of the socket inside the balloon, and a valve for inflating the balloon, pressure of the inflating gas in the balloon compressing the conical top of the yielding ring against the lamp holder, to seal the holder gas tight in the balloon.

SHOZABURO AKI. GUNJI KOIZUMI. 

